


Strength

by varia_l



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Female Mammon | Viper, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25840345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varia_l/pseuds/varia_l
Summary: Verde's life was perfectly normal, until he met Skull. Then things started to spiral.
Relationships: Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn)/Mammon | Viper/Verde
Comments: 3
Kudos: 90





	Strength

**Author's Note:**

> A note: this is a very self indulgent and potentially canon divergent story, depending on how much I actually remembered from KHR. Please be gentle with me. I don't want concrit.
> 
> #nobetawedielikemen

Verde was a man of science. To him, science included anything and everything. So he devoured the knowledge that the world threw his way. He asked questions as early as he could remember and the only way he felt full was when the answer was satisfying. If it was not, he’d make it satisfying. He’d prove them wrong, or find additional information that supplemented the initial answer.

He didn’t make many friends, but that was okay. He had his assistants who looked at him in awe as he worked, who brought him coffee, and who knew the risks when they joined that he would be using them for experiments.

Life was okay for Verde.

Then Skull burst into his life.

—

“He…” Verde rubbed his temples. “What do you mean, he was run over by a monster truck?”

He gestured at fidgeting young man on the bed in front of him. He appeared young, maybe five to ten years younger than Verde’s thirty, and his skin was absolutely positively perfect and free of scars. He was playing with an octopus, which was interesting.

The doctor who brought the man, Skull, to him had an expression that was equally as frustrated. “I was there, sir. It’s one of my hobbies, I enjoy his shows—” Skull looked excited, but Verde’s glare at both of them told the doctor to get on with it. “Anyway, he definitely got run over by a truck. And he bled. A lot. His PR managed to cover it up, but…”

“It’s fine, doc!” Skull interrupted, waving his arms around. “I’m used to it. I don’t know why you suggested coming here in the first place.”

“Because if anyone’s going to find out what’s wrong with you,” Skull flinched. “It’d be Mister Verde.”

Verde walked over to Skull, and grabbed him by the chin. He stared into his purple eyes, making Skull fidget even more. But Verde didn’t care about that.

“...mist flames?” He muttered, and Skull froze in spot. “No, you’re a cloud, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Skull said with a baffled expression.

“Oh that’s great!” He gestured for everyone else to leave the room and they rushed out. He grinned down at Skull, who gulped. “I haven’t had the chance to experiment on a Cloud in a long, long time. Let alone one subconsciously doing what I’ve wanted to prove for years.”

“A-and what’s that?”

“Is it possible, to use a flame other than that of the Sun, to heal?” Verde paced back and forth, grabbing his equipment. He stopped and pointed at Skull.

“And you’re doing it. You’re regenerating your cells with the power of the Cloud flames multiplying ability, aren’t you?”

Verde grinned.

Skull was terrified.

It might’ve been the scalpel in his hand.

—  
“So you’re just going to…poke me with it?”

Verde sighed. He was currently faced with a dilemma.

Skull would’ve made an excellent test subject, but he had to get his consent because…well…

The octopus had increased in size to the point that if it moves even an inch, it’ll destroy his entire lab. They were both in a corner, hiding from him, and it was only Verde’s panicked screaming at him to not let the octopus move a single tentacle or it’ll blow us all up that lead to the calmness of the octopus.

“Yes.” Verde said slowly. “For today, I’m only going to poke you with the scalpel. Just a few cuts, and nothing more.”

“No pain?” Skull asked, eyes narrowed.

“Did you feel pain when you got run over by the truck?”

“...yes.” That was unexpected. Verde had to mentally reform his opinion of his healing powers. So it doesn’t work fast enough to stop him from being hurt. “It hurt. A lot.”

“In that case,” Verde put the scalpel down. “Anesthetic for the majority of the tests. Nothing extreme, like lost limbs.” And didn’t that disappoint Verde? “Nothing I will put you through will kill you.”

Probably.

“Fine.” Skull said, unraveling himself from the tentacles of the octopus. “But only because I’m curious too, you got it? I want to know how this works.”

—  
“I hear you found a Cloud.”

Oh, yay.

Verde looked up from his coffee and scowled at the purple-haired woman in his office. Her hood was off for once, and Verde could see her yellow eyes from beneath her bangs staring at him with curiosity.

Viper.

She walked—no, she was showing off again. She floated over to Verde, with that godforsaken snake of hers that defied all rules of reality. Verde would figure out how that trick worked one day. Was it all just an illusion? Or was it something completely different?

She poked him in the cheek to get his attention again, and Verde bit at her fingers as though he were his pet alligator and not a perfectly respectable adult.

Viper laughed. It was a odd laugh and sounded like a tape playing that bounced around the room. It was unsettling, as usual.

“Luce is still looking—”

“No.”

Viper tilted her head at the quick denial. “He’s a stuntman, not a killer.” Verde explained. “He knows nothing about the mafia. It would be too much work to introduce him to our life.”

“Luce would disagree.” She said. There was a smile on her face, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “She wants to meet him. Meet the boy you’ve been fascinated by for the last month.”

“I’m not fascinated by him.”

“This is the first time you’ve left your lab.” Viper pointed out. Verde scowled, again. “She needs a Cloud, Verde.”

“And why can’t it be someone from her own Familgia?” Verde did not whine. “Why take one of my experiments?”

“Because according to your research, he may be the strongest Cloud we’ve met in years.”

Viper waved his own papers in his face. When did she…?

“I’ve been here watching you for the past week. You’ve been very gentle with that boy, for your standards.”

Illusionists. Can't live with them, can't live without them.

—  
Skull tripped over his own tongue when he met Luce, which did not upset Verde. Everyone did that. He did that the first time. It was hard not to, being in the presence of someone so otherworldly.

No, what was upsetting was Skull bouncing back to normal and then flirting with Luce.

“You’re very pretty,” He said, eliciting pleased laughter from her. “Are you sure you don’t want to date me?”

“Unfortunately, I’m pregnant for a reason.” She lifted her hand with her ring on it. Skull pouted. “But I wouldn’t mind going out for lunch.”

“Ooh, I know a place that makes a good pasta!”

“That sounds delightful.”

“Enough.” Verde interrupted, glaring at Luce. He hated her propensity to flirt with anything that moved. He was sure that her kid would be the same, once they were born. She blinked back at him, acting innocent. “Are you done? Have you decided, yet?”

“I have.”

Verde almost let out a sigh of relief. It was almost over. He could go back to testing Skull’s powers when they got back to their lab, and then he didn’t have to deal with the other members of the gang for another month, at least, and then everything would go back to normal and…

Luce smiled at Skull, and knelt in front of him.

“Skull,” She took his hand in hers. It looked like a proposal. It was a proposal. Verde’s stomach dropped.  
“Would you mind becoming my Cloud?”

—

“So the Mafia has a secret fight club with magic?” Skull asked. Viper's face was positively delighted at that description, and Verde had to correct him before she rolled with it and confused him even more for shits and giggles.

“It’s Flames, not magic.” Verde explained. “It’s closest descriptor is your soul being brought out of your body to defend you. I’ve already told you this.”

“You did?”

“Oh right.” Verde had to think back to that experiment. “You were under anesthetic. Sorry.” He tacked on at the end, and did not miss Viper’s twitching. He didn’t understand why.

He said sorry, sometimes.

Just not often.

“But the fight club thing is still accurate, right?” Skull pressed. “Don’t talk about the mafia, or I’ll get killed a horrible painful death.”

They were currently in a temporary location owned by Viper. It was the safest place for them to discuss the topic, but Viper refused to let them be alone for the conversation because she was worried they would destroy the place.

“Sounds accurate enough to me.” Viper was leaning back against the couch as she looked over Skull, assessing him. Skull shivered, and Verde couldn’t blame him. Viper’s eyes, with her slit pupils, were unnerving when you weren’t used to them. “It’s a fight club, isn’t it, Verde? We die fighting for her sake.”

“But….why?” Skull asked. “Why would I want to?”

“Not all families do it,” Verde took control of the conversation. “But in Luce’s case, her family’s powers need to have Guardians to keep her alive. And as for why you should…” Verde failed to supply an answer.

He never really understood why any of them did it. Verde initially joined because of the opportunity, the chance to study under the long-lived Giglio Nero family, but that didn’t explain why he stayed.

“Because she loves us.” Viper finished, making Verde turn to her in shock. She didn’t have any deceit in her face when she answered. “Because she takes us poor, broken individuals in, and loves us.”

And that was the truth.

That was the answer he was looking for all along.

And in reply, Skull nodded. He looked hungry, hungry for the taste of love, just like the rest of them were.

“I will join.”

  
—

Reborn hated Skull. He was too immature, he thought he was going to bring them down. They did not interact after their first introductions, and Skull hated that. Skull was constantly pressuring Verde to reveal where he lived so he could “knock him down a few pegs” and honestly, Verde would’ve done so if it weren’t for the fact that no one knew where Reborn lived.

Lal Mirch thought he was annoying. She treated him as live target practice, which revealed Skull was actually…surprisingly good at dodging things. Maybe he wouldn’t be bad in the mafia like they thought he would be.

Viper kept teasing him. Kept making him pay for the simplest of things, such as a glass of water. But she liked him, in her own twisted way.

Fon was the nicest to him. Because of course he was.

  
And Luce…

Luce loved him. Verde watched Skull sleep peacefully with his head in her lap. They were sitting next to the fountain on a blanket. He frowned at the sight. It was something she’d do for any of them, and yet it felt too intimate for his tastes.

Luce glanced over at him, making him flinch. He thought he was hidden.

She patted the spot next to him.

Verde sat.

“He’s stronger than you think,” she said at a low volume, petting Skull’s head. “And so are you.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

“Aren’t you?” Verde looked away from her searching gaze. “You’ll do good, Verde. Both of you will. There will be tough times, but you’ll be great.”

Great.

Years ago, Verde wanted that. To be the greatest there ever was.

Then he was introduced to Reborn, Lal Mirch, and Viper, and realized that he would never compare.

“Strength isn’t greatness.” She corrected, as though hearing his thoughts. Verde sometimes though that she could hear their thoughts, on top of all that ‘seeing the future’ oddness she claimed to have. “Strength is not greatness, Verde. Happiness is.”

—

They were now Arcobalenos.

Checkerface tricked them. Luce tricked them. They all were tricked, and Verde screamed and threw as many things as he could. It wasn’t much, but it made him feel better.

Viper left. He didn’t know where she went.

Skull declared himself an enemy of the Giglio Nera and joined the first family that offered. He didn’t know what he was signing up for.

Fon was the one who brought the newborn child to the Giglio Nera. They would both be protected.

Reborn joined the Vongola. He threw himself into assassin work, to get used to his body again. He seemed to be coping the best out of them all.

Lal Mirch and Collonello, and wasn’t that a surprise, that some soldier figured it out before Verde, left their separate ways to go god knows where.

As for Verde? Verde didn’t know what to do and that filled him with more rage than anything else.

—

Verde took a page out of Reborn’s book and threw himself into research.

It was hard. No one knew who he was. They just thought he was the missing Verde the Scientist’s estranged child, named after himself in a fit of narcissism. It took him years to get funding as a child genius, and Verde finally found himself in a position where he could research what he wanted in between the other trash that was thrown his way.

It was odd. He felt naked and alone in his new lab.

There was no Viper to sneak into his lab at odd hours, asking if he found anything that could make her money.

There was no Skull to experiment on and make him laugh with his stupidity.

Luce, fuck her, had no reason to bring him coffee anymore. Why would she? She was dead and no one would see her again.

Verde sat there, and he put his face in his hands. An assistant asked if he was crying, and he burst into laughter.

He did not cry.

But he figured out the first thing he was going to research.

—

Time travel was a tricky subject and he needed test subjects. Many different families offered, but there was only one he was interested in.

The only family who offered up a child for the testing. A child wouldn’t break the laws of time travel, because no one would believe them. Especially not a child so prone to tricks and lies.

He handed the gun to the boy named Lambo and before he had the chance to say anything, the kid pointed the bazooka at himself and shot himself.

Which was unexpected. Nice, because he didn’t have to explain, but unexpected. Mainly to the assistants who all screamed.

Then the teenager arrived, and all hell broke loose.

It was a success, for the time being.

—

“You gave the Bovino family that bazooka, didn’t you?”

Verde flinched.

It was the first time since the Arcobaleno incident since he saw Reborn. He honestly almost thought he was dead. But no, Reborn was perfectly fine.

“And what’s it to you?” Verde regained his composure and glared at the black haired baby sitting on his desk. He was kicking his legs back and forth and looked completely composed, a little bored, really. “What are you even doing here?”

“You can’t bring back the dead.” Reborn said. Verde’s eyes widened. “We will never have answers.”

I know.

“You and Viper,” Viper? “You both are trying to dig your noses into something too big for us.”

“I never knew there was anything that was too big for the Great Reborn.” Verde scoffed, but inwardly he was pleased. Viper was alive. The closest thing he had to a friend was alive. “Where’s Viper?”

“With the Varia.” Verde swore, scowling at the ground. Verde would never be able to get close to the Varia. They had too heavily fortified defenses for Verde’s taste, and he did not want to waste money on robots just to say hello to Viper.

He wasn’t that sentimental.

“The Vongola heir is in Namimori.”

Verde looked back up at Reborn. He had a smirk on his face. “I’m training him. Come say hello, won’t you?”

And then Reborn left.

—

Verde’s first assassination attempt on the Tenth failed, but he got plenty of information from it.

Time travel could work backwards.

Time does not only move forward. It can adjust to whatever you throw at it. That Gokudera child proved it.

His experiments were ready for the next stage.

—

“Viper.”

“It’s Mammon, now.”

“Mammon, then.” Verde thought it was a little silly to name yourself after a demon, but it felt fitting. “Mammon, what are you doing here?”

“I need your help.” She put a piece of paper on the table. It had a blueprint of a robot on it. It seemed familiar. “I’ll pay you in exchange for you building this.”

And that was it. That was all she wanted.

“I don’t want money.” He admitted before his brain caught up with himself. “I think I just want your company.”

Silence. It was a long one, but eventually, for the first time in years, Verde got to see that twisted, twisted smile on her face again.

It made him feel warm inside.

—

His new assistant left with all his research on time travel.

He was so close.

He tried desperately to remember all of his notes, but he failed. There was too much in his head, too much to sort through, and he failed.

—

They went to the future.

They saved the future.

Reborn’s voice mail was quick to the point, and then there was a pause at the end.

"Spanner said to thank you."

He tried calling Reborn back, but the person who replied didn’t even know who Reborn was.

—  
When everyone met together for the first time in years, it was at a fountain that was all too familiar to Verde. It was where they became the Arcobaleno. The water had been tainted by their curses, and it sparkled with the color of the rainbow.

It was the first time he had seen everyone in one place. The person he was dreading the most was Skull. He honestly expected Skull to hate him. He did. He was the one who introduced him to Luce.

But Skull just gave him an exuberant hello and sat down next to him, relaxing and looking way to comfortable. He ignored him otherwise the rest of the visit, fighting with Reborn, and Verde was filled with conflicting feelings.

—

He really really hated Fran.

His mist flames were strong, possibly as a result of being raised so close to the fountain. But that wasn’t why he hated Fran. In fact, he was impressed with Fran for that.

No, he hated Fran because he wouldn’t shut up and leave him alone.

“Sooo,” Fran began and Verde let out a audible groan. Mukuro chuckled from his spot on the couch. “What’s the deal with those purple guys?”

“Purple guys?” Verde didn’t want to participate in whatever conversation Fran was planning, but he was confused. It was an odd descriptor.

“The one with the hoodie and the ugly one with the piercings?” Fran pressed. “They’ve been hanging around the base.”

“They’ve been what?”

“Oh yes.” Mukuro took his headphones off. Verde had the feeling he never listened to music when Verde was being tormented by Fran, as he clearly enjoyed it too much. His expression looked equally as curious. “I’ve been leaving them alone, since they don’t really do anything, but your Arcobaleno friends have been visiting. Just those two.”

“They stand outside the parameter and just stand there.” Fran whined. “It’s weird. You should talk to them and find out what they want.”

—

“You know I don’t hate you, right?” Skull started. The three of them were watching the sunset. “I don’t hate Luce either.”

“Really?” Verde asked, more confused about the latter statement than the first. “Why would you not hate her? She turned us into this, and—!”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Actually, I kinda like being an Arcobaleno. I’m smaller, but I’ve met so many cool people like my gang. And Luce was nice, Verde. Sure, she lied to us, but she made me feel happy.” He paused, letting Verde digest that statement.

Verde couldn’t fault him for that sentiment.

Luce made everyone happy, in the short time they were together.

“Just like you did, actually.” He knocked shoulders with Verde, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“I…what?”

“You’re ridiculous, Verde.” Mammon chipped in. “You’re so uptight and serious, sometimes.”

“You helped me find a family.” Skull explained. “You helped me figure out how to control my cloud flames. You helped me realize I wasn’t a freak for having them.”

“I experimented on you.” Verde’s head was spinning. He felt like he was being spun around by Fran again.

“Consent was involved.” Mammon pointed out.

“I had to get his consent because his octopus was going to destroy my lab, otherwise.”

Skull and Mammon both snorted.

“If you two really 'liked' me,” Verde felt something snap inside him, one by one. “Then you wouldn’t have left me.”

“I left because I didn’t know it was an option to stay.” Skull explained. He threw his hands up. “You don’t talk much, man! I thought you hated me for completing the Arcobaleno. If it weren’t for me, none of us would’ve been turned into this.”

“I was busy.” Mammon said bluntly. “You were just as busy. You never thought to channel some of that fund money into finding us? I found you in less than a week, mister Child Prodigy.”

“In other words,” Verde said slowly. “We all just have really bad communication issues.”

“Hah. We sure do!” Skull burst into laughter. Mammon had a disgusting grin on her face. Verde let out a sigh, and they both bumped their shoulders with his.

It was a nice day.

—

The curse was lifted, and all of them were stuck as children. The current theory was that they would grow as the years go by.

“Are you able to speed it up?” Mukuro asked Verde, who was sitting on his shoulder. “I don’t think I care much for lugging you around everywhere.”

“Of course I will.” Verde sniffed. “Don’t underestimate me!”

—

It took three months, but with the help of Spanner and Shoichi, he theoretically replicated the same effects that Hayato Gokudera experienced when he was shot by the bazooka and reversed the effects.

If successful, it would let them be adults again with the same memories. And permanently.

“Come on, big boy.” Verde grinned at Skull. Skull was in a corner staring at Mammon and Verde with wide eyes. “Are you saying you don’t want to be an adult again?”

“I do!” Skull whined. “But I don’t know why you had to put the cure into an needle. I hate needles!’

“Portability. Mammon, restrain him.”

Mammon nodded, and tentacles came out of her face.

“He said restrain me! He said nothing about being gross about it!”

A quick jab of the needle, and the deed was done. Skull cried.

  
—  
"You're a girl?" Skull squeaked out, as Mammon put on the pants that Verde had prepared beforehand.

The needle worked, though it damaged their clothes that were unsurprisingly too small for their new bodies.

Verde looked over at Mammon. Mammon looked over at him. "You." He paused. "You didn't tell him?"

"I guess I forgot?" Mammon shrugged. "It never came up. People never really ask me that question anymore, anyway. 'What's in your pants?' they'd ask, and I just spit on them nowadays because really, who cares?"

"I've spent the _past twenty years_ thinking you were like," Skull gestured randomly. "Some kinda tentacle monster under there. Maybe not even human?"

"Are you okay?" Verde asked Mammon, who was now bent over clutching her bare stomach.

"I don't think I'm capable of laughing like this." She said in awe. "I want to laugh, but it hurts."

"Also, Verde..." Skull said hesitantly. Verde tilted his head and Skull pointed downwards. Oh.

"Please put on a pair of pants." Skull was looking away, but Verde noticed a tint of red to his ears.

"I like how you're more embarrassed about Verde." Mammon floated over him and started poking him in the cheek. She was still shirtless, and Skull noticed that, and then covered his face with his hands and started screaming into them. "Oh, there we go. Equal opportunist, huh?"

"I'M NOT DISCUSSING MY SEXUALITY WITH YOU WHILE YOU'RE BOTH NAKED."

"Understood." Mammon waved a hand, and suddenly she was fully clothed. Mist flames would save on so much time, money, and effort Verde lamented to himself as he got dressed like a _plebeian_. "But just for the record, I'm more willing to share than you think."

"Share what?" Verde and Skull asked at the same time. Mammon grinned at them, a sharp teethed grin, one that looked alarmingly like she replicated the effect of a shark using an illusions. Then she left instead of answering. "Share _what?"_ Skull squeaked out to Verde. Verde shrugged, though he was sure his face was turning just as red as Skulls was right now at the implications.

_\--_

His first kiss with Skull came after a month of no side effects _._ Verde didn't really plan on it. He was just...happy. And Skull was there. Skull's lips were odd to kiss, with the piercing in their way, but in that moment, it felt right.

His first kiss with Mammon came two minutes later, when she stomped up to them and demanded the same treatment."I did not waste my time flirting with you all those years to have you waste it on just him." She said and pulled him down into a kiss. Verde didn't complain. She turned to Skull. "You too, idiot. If we're going to do this, we're going to do this."

Verde's head spun at the sight of the two people who he liked the most locking lips. But to be honest, somehow, that felt...fine. He didn't have any bad feelings like he did with Luce. It actually felt like it was rather inevitable.

It all did.

"Oh, man." Verde slapped himself in the face. " _Fucking fortune tellers!_ "

He could feel Luce laughing at him from whatever afterlife she ended up in _._ That it took him this long to realize it was laughabl _e. Luce knew_. Luce knew every, single thing, that was going to happen.

_Strength is not greatness, Verde._

Mammon and Skull were watching him with equally concerned expressions, so he waved his hand dismissively. It didn't matter now. What mattered most is that the cure was complete, and that he was...heaven forbid. He was actually _happy_ , for once. He grabbed the two by the hands, and hugged them both. Mammon squirmed to get out of his hold as though her affection quota was filled up for the day, while Skull took the opportunity for a hug and relished in it.

He was happy.

He just hoped it'd last longer than the last time.


End file.
